A veteran of New York state’s legendary folk scenes, published poet J. Barrett Wolf has made Binghamton his home base as he continues to embrace his switch from music to poetry.
Wolf has become one of the most prominent figures in Binghamton poetry, hosting monthly open mics for the past 14 years. Originally from Freeport, New York, Wolf has lived in Connecticut, Massachusetts, California and Ireland, spending nearly 40 years as a singer-songwriter. Wolf began his career in his early high school days.
Janiece Miller, 27, of Binghamton, lives a life based on inspiration. Between her day job and her poetry’s mission to help others find a light, she acts as a living reminder for those in Binghamton to keep pushing forward.
Miller works with those fighting addiction at the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST), and she said she is inspired by the strength and stories of those in the organization.
Today, Constance Curry shares her art with the Binghamton community — but her creative passion began tucked away in a private diary in her adolescence.
Curry, a 34-year-old poet and Endicott resident, said she started writing poems in high school, but kept them away from others.
Jasmine Jordon aims to write poetry that not only represents herself, but also many black women in America, giving a voice to a group that isn’t always heard.
“I feel as though the weight of the world is on black women’s shoulders, we see so much, we carry so much, and I feel like sometimes it is up to us to make [the] change that is needed,” she said.
For artist Anna Warfield, plush isn’t just reserved for teddy bears — it’s a medium capable of expressing the intricacies of sexuality and gender relations.
Warfield, 25, of Binghamton, is an artist who incorporates poetic text into works of visual art. Born and raised in Whitney Point, Warfield completed her bachelor’s degrees in fine arts and communications at Cornell University. After graduation, she worked in multiple positions at the Broome County Arts Council before creating her own business, Anna Warfield Art, LLC. Her business has allowed her to pursue her art while taking up other creative contracts, such as LUMA Projection Arts Festival.
Warfield said she began to focus on the written word early in her artistic career, and chose to attend Cornell University specifically to enter a program that would let her pursue both communications and fine arts. She said the cultural back-and-forth between Whitney Point and the fine arts world encouraged her to make multilayered art that could be appreciated in both spaces.